The present invention relates generally to opto-electronic devices, and more specifically to the packaging of opto-electronic devices.
Most computer and communication networks today rely on copper wiring to transmit data between nodes in the network. Since the data transmitted over the copper wire and the data processed within the nodes are both represented in the form of electrical signals, the transfer of data at the node-copper wire interface is straight forward. Other than perhaps level shifts and signal amplification, no other signal processing is required for data transmitted over the copper wire to be decoded by the node. The drawback with using copper wire is its relatively low bandwidth. Copper""s ability to transmit data is significantly limited compared to other mediums, such as fiber optics. Accordingly much of the computer and communication networks being built today, including the Internet, are using fiber optic cabling instead of copper wire.
With fiber optic cabling, data is transmitted using light signals, rather than electrical signals. For example, a logical one may be represented by a light pulse of a specific duration and a logical zero may be represented by the absence of a light pulse for the same duration. In addition, it is also possible to transmit at the same time multiple colors of light over a single strand of optic fiber, with each color of light representing a distinct data stream. Since light is attenuated less in fiber than electrons traveling through copper, and multiple data streams can be transmitted at one time, the bandwidth of optic fiber is significantly greater than copper.
While fiber optic data transmission has proven very efficient, substantial problems have been encountered when applying these light signals to process data. Transferred data is typically stored in various locations before, during and after it is processed by a computer. Since there is currently no efficient technique to xe2x80x9cstorexe2x80x9d these light packets of data, networks will likely continue to use fiber optics for transmitting data between nodes and silicon chips to process the data within the nodes for the foreseeable future. Building such networks requires opto-electronic transceivers, which connect optical transmission devices to electronic computing devices through devices that transform optical signals to electronic signals, and vice-versa.
Ideally, such opto-electronic transceivers should provide secure and reliable connections between the various devices and should be compact in size. Secure connections ensure that the individual devices do not disconnect and therefore cause a failure in the opto-electronic transformation process. Compactly sized transceiver modules allow a higher density of optical fibers to be attached to an electronic printed circuit board, thereby increasing the bandwidth available to the computing system.
One current opto-electronic transceiver design 50 is illustrated in FIG. 1. The transceiver 50 is composed of four main sub-assemblies, which attach to each other through pins 15 that extend through each sub-assembly. The bottom sub-assembly is typically a plastic base 10, which establishes a base upon which the optical sub-assembly 20, the electronic sub-assembly 30 and the case 40 are mounted. The assembled transceiver 50, through the base 10, is generally attached to a printed circuit board (not shown). Moreover, the base 10 provides a socket 16 formed for sliding receipt of an end connector of an optical fiber transmission line (not shown). When the end connector of the fiber optic line is received in socket 16 of the base 10, the optical fibers thereof are communicably coupled to the optical detector and transmitters of the optical sub-assembly 20. The electrical sub-assembly 30 contains an electronic semiconductor chip operably coupled to the detector and transmitters. The metallic case 40 provides protection to the optical and the electrical sub-assemblies 20, 30 by enclosing them within the connector.
While the transceiver design adequately ensures a secure connection between optical and electronic devices, assembly of its individual sub-assemblies is mechanically complex. Moreover, the end connectors of the fiber optic lines are often subjected to constant load forces. Over time, these plastic housings 10 tend to fatigue and fracture. Another problem associated with the current arrangements is that the opto-electronic components within the casing 40 are usually thermally isolated. This is disadvantageous in that current opto-electronic component designs often generate large amounts of heat. Thus, increased heat dissipation is required to maintain the laser temperature within acceptable limits. Finally, the size of transceiver 50 limits the achievable fiber density upon printed circuit boards. For example, current fiber densities along the edge of printed circuit boards can only support up to approximately twelve (12) fibers per 20 mm.
In view of the foregoing, a simple and compact opto-electronic transceiver capable of providing secure connections between optical and electronic devices would be desirable.
The present invention is directed to a compact opto-electronic transceiver assembly capable of securely connecting optical and electronic devices. The opto-electronic transceiver includes a sleeve device with a socket for receiving an optical transmission medium and a securing structure for receiving an opto-electronic device. The socket and securing structure are designed so that the optical transmission medium and the opto-electronic device become connected upon receipt of the connector by the sleeve device. The transceiver may be securely attached to a printed circuit board.
In an alternative embodiment, the securing structure is a receiving slot into which the opto-electronic device may be inserted. In yet another alternative embodiment, the receiving slot includes a support shelf which supports and which is thermally coupled to the opto-electronic device.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be presented in more detail in the following specification of the invention and the accompanying figures which illustrate by way of example the principles of the invention.